diff --git a/src/backend/distributed/connection/remote_commands.c b/src/backend/distributed/connection/remote_commands.c
index accd7f833..662fdb555 100644
--- a/src/backend/distributed/connection/remote_commands.c
+++ b/src/backend/distributed/connection/remote_commands.c
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ SendRemoteCommandParams(MultiConnection *connection, const char *command,
 	 * Don't try to send command if connection is entirely gone
 	 * (PQisnonblocking() would crash).
 	 */
-	if (!pgConn)
+	if (!pgConn || PQstatus(pgConn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ SendRemoteCommand(MultiConnection *connection, const char *command)
 	 * Don't try to send command if connection is entirely gone
 	 * (PQisnonblocking() would crash).
 	 */
-	if (!pgConn)
+	if (!pgConn || PQstatus(pgConn) != CONNECTION_OK)
 	{
 		return 0;
 	}
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_replicate_reference_table.out b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_replicate_reference_table.out
index 184c1885e..f38bb46b7 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_replicate_reference_table.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_replicate_reference_table.out
@@ -713,6 +713,12 @@ SELECT 1 FROM master_add_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
         1
 (1 row)
 
+-- test adding an invalid node while we have reference tables to replicate
+-- set client message level to ERROR to suppress OS-dependent host name resolution warnings
+SET client_min_messages to ERROR;
+SELECT master_add_node('invalid-node-name', 9999);
+ERROR:  failure on connection marked as essential: invalid-node-name:9999
+SET client_min_messages to DEFAULT;
 -- drop unnecassary tables
 DROP TABLE initially_not_replicated_reference_table;
 -- reload pg_dist_shard_placement table
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_router_planner.out b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_router_planner.out
index 6a1fa2f5f..50f6a8da8 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/multi_router_planner.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/multi_router_planner.out
@@ -2151,7 +2151,7 @@ GRANT INSERT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO router_user;
 BEGIN;
 INSERT INTO failure_test VALUES (1, 1);
 WARNING:  connection error: localhost:57638
-DETAIL:  no connection to the server
+DETAIL:  FATAL:  role "router_user" does not exist
 SELECT shardid, shardstate, nodename, nodeport FROM pg_dist_shard_placement
 	WHERE shardid IN (
 		SELECT shardid FROM pg_dist_shard
@@ -2169,7 +2169,7 @@ SELECT shardid, shardstate, nodename, nodeport FROM pg_dist_shard_placement
 ROLLBACK;
 INSERT INTO failure_test VALUES (2, 1);
 WARNING:  connection error: localhost:57638
-DETAIL:  no connection to the server
+DETAIL:  FATAL:  role "router_user" does not exist
 SELECT shardid, shardstate, nodename, nodeport FROM pg_dist_shard_placement
 	WHERE shardid IN (
 		SELECT shardid FROM pg_dist_shard
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/multi_replicate_reference_table.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/multi_replicate_reference_table.sql
index 84b2f8c23..38becb491 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/multi_replicate_reference_table.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/multi_replicate_reference_table.sql
@@ -457,6 +457,13 @@ ORDER BY 1,4,5;
 -- this should have no effect
 SELECT 1 FROM master_add_node('localhost', :worker_2_port);
 
+-- test adding an invalid node while we have reference tables to replicate
+-- set client message level to ERROR to suppress OS-dependent host name resolution warnings
+SET client_min_messages to ERROR;
+SELECT master_add_node('invalid-node-name', 9999);
+
+SET client_min_messages to DEFAULT;
+
 -- drop unnecassary tables
 DROP TABLE initially_not_replicated_reference_table;